Codec: HEVC / H.265 (80.1 Mb/s)
Resolution: 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
#English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
#English: FLAC 2.0
#English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Commentary by Writer John Sayles & Producer Roger Corman)
#English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Commentary by Assistant Production Manager Gale Anne Hurd)
The year 1980 was very fruitful in cinema, not only in the West, but also worldwide. This year saw the release of such well-known and even cult films as “The Taming of the Shrew,” “The Elephant Man,” “Gods Must Be Crazy,” Raging Bull, The Shining, Tehran-43, The Young Master, The Blue Lagoon, Cannibal Holocaust, and many others. But in the science fiction genre, the 1980s were marked by the release of the fifth episode of Star Wars. At that time, Star Wars was at the peak of its popularity, it had already created a full-fledged subculture and firmly established itself in the minds of the masses, and, obviously, therefore, many science fiction films released during that period simply got lost and did not manage to find a wide audience, as they simply fell under the same enormous shadow of Star Wars' authority as the imperial Death Star casts.
One such film was Battle Beyond the Stars. Having watched this film solely for the purpose of broadening my cinematic horizons, and being a fan of the genre, I can say that this film is worthy of attention. It is a typical heroic fantasy with a straightforward plot: a simple young man who has never left his planet immediately becomes a hero after the loss of a loved one, finds like-minded people, saves everyone he can, and along the way finds his “Princess Leia.” Everything is simple and straightforward. The film is typical of its time in every way, there's no denying that. But despite its simplicity and straightforwardness, I have to praise this little-known film for its quite good spectacle, dynamics, very high-quality special effects for its time, and atmosphere. This film has a certain charm and an authentic atmosphere. So, to sum up, I can say the following: if you are a die-hard fan of science fiction and have a positive attitude towards old-fashioned cinema, then you should definitely watch it.